Isaiah 6:2

“Seraphim were standing above him; six wings, six wings to each one; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.”
Isaiah 6:2 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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Isaiah sees Adonai on the throne, and the seraphim cry "Holy, holy, holy"Holiness Isaiah sees God on the throne and the seraphim calling “Holy, holy, holy”Praise and worship

With the Hebrew beneath

Seraphimשְׂרָפִיםwere standingעֹמְדִיםabove him;מִמַּעַל לוֹsix wings,שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִםsix wingsשֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִםto each one;לְאֶחָדwith twoבִּשְׁתַּיִםhe coveredיְכַסֶּהhis face,פָנָיוand with twoוּבִשְׁתַּיִםhe coveredיְכַסֶּהhis feet,רַגְלָיוand with twoוּבִשְׁתַּיִםhe flew.יְעוֹפֵף

Allusion · Revelation 4:8

Go to Revelation 4:8

Both texts describe beings with six wings who say “Holy, holy, holy.”

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

כְּנָפַיִםkenafayimH3671πτέρυγαςpterygasG4420“wing, edge of a garment”
שֵׁשׁsheshH8337ἕξhexG1803“six”
קָדוֹשׁkadoshH6918ἍγιοςHagiosG40“holy”

Isaiah 6:2, word by word

Seraphimשְׂרָפִיםserafim

seraph

Beings of fire who stand before God's throne.

Where else “serafim” appears

were standingעֹמְדִיםomdim

stand

To be on one's feet, firm in a place, or to rise up to act.

Where else “omdim” appears

above himמַּעַלmaal

above

Upward, above; with ages, "twenty years old or more".

Where else “maal” appears

six wingsשֵׁשׁshesh

six

Six; also "sixth".

Where else “shesh” appears

six wingsכְּנָפַיִםkenafayim

wing

A bird's wing; shelter under God's wings.

Where else “kenafayim” appears

to each oneאֶחָדechad

each

Literally "one": all of them, one by one.

Where else “echad” appears

with twoשְׁתַּיִםshetayim

two

A pair, a quantity of two.

Where else “shetayim” appears

he coveredיְכַסֶּהyechase

cover

To put something over a thing so that it can no longer be seen.

Where else “yechase” appears

his faceפָנָיfanay

face

The front of the head, of someone or of God.

Where else “fanay” appears

his feetרַגְלָיraglay

foot

The part of the body that supports and makes one walk.

Where else “raglay” appears

he flewיְעוֹפֵףyeofef

fly

To move through the air with wings, like birds and seraphim.

Where else “yeofef” appears

Translation note

“Seraphim” (שְׂרָפִים): the word comes from “to burn.”

The context

1In the year of the death of King Uzziah, I saw Adonai sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and his skirts filled the temple.

2 · This verse (above)

3And one called to another and said, “Holy, holy, holy is YHWH Tsevaot; the fullness of all the earth is his glory.”

Read all of Isaiah 6

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